After the sword sect master left, a few guards helped Han Yunxi carry Long Feiye to the ninth floor. The whole way up was marked by a trail of blood. When Han Yunxi glanced back at the sight, her vision blurred until she felt that the hallways had been dyed in red. Even the world was emblazoned in a crimson sheen that would never wash clean.
The guards placed Long Feiye on the bed and withdrew. By now, he was already unconscious, his pale face a sharp contrast to his bloodstained lips. Han Yunxi might not know anything, but she understood that his blood and qi circulation had reversed to cause this condition. Unless he was rescued in time, even gods would be helpless to save him. His life was ebbing away with the large swaths of blood flowing from his body. Han Yunxi used her sleeve to wipe at the liquid trickling from his lips. Soon enough, both of her sleeves were soaked in blood. She used her hands next, brushing away each new stream that flowed from his mouth. But no matter how quickly she cleaned his face, the blood was still faster.
She couldnāt finish cleaning the blood right before her, just as she couldnāt hold onto the Long Feiye lying right in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, she felt helpless to grasp anything at all. He seemed like he could leave her forever at any moment.
She grew afraid. Her hands shook, then her body. Even her voice trembled as she spoke. āNoā¦ Long Feiye, Feiyeā¦ Donāt scare me like this, alright?ā
Since she couldnāt wipe away the blood, she covered her mouth with her hands. But it was no use!
Fresh blood still seeped from between her fingers to land on the pure white sheets. The shocking sight reminded her that this wasnāt a dream. It was reality! This was reality!
āLong Feiye, tell me what Iām supposed to do!ā
āLong Feiye, donāt be like this! Iām begging you, donāt be like thisā¦ Long Feiye, wake up!ā
āLong Feiye, you promised me! We were going to leave the mountain together! Youāre not allowed to lie! You canātā¦Long Feiye, how dare you lie to me!ā
āLong Feiye, how could you do this? How could you?!ā
She had thought of endless possibilities where she left the mountain alone and planned endless plots to counter them. But she never thought of an ending like this.
A world where Long Feiye couldnāt leave the mountain at all. A world where he couldnāt accompany her, because he died!
Han Yunxi cried herself hoarse as she sat by his side. āLong Feiye, arenāt you afraid that Iāll never trust you again after you lied to me?ā
āLong Feiye, will Iā¦will I even have a chance to trust you again in the future?ā
In the end, she threw herself across his body and broke into bitter sobs. Although she didnāt want to believe it, would thereā¦be a future at all? Will I ever get another chance?
Long Feiyeās body was beginning to turn coldā¦
The sword sect master kicked open the door with the three white-haired Honored Elders behind him. The stench of blood filling the room made them knit their brows. Before the sword sect master ever descended the peak, the three had come. They could long see that Long Feiye was severely injured and came to rescue him. Long Feiye might be strong, but his martial arts still paled to their levels. Still, his staunch and tenacious will had earned their respect. They were all over 100 years old, but had never seen such a proud disciple of Celestial Mountain until today.
Although she was reluctant and afraid, Han Yunxi was the first to move out of the way. She didnāt understand anything, so she didnāt dare to to disturb the Honored Elders. One of them took Long Feiyeās pulse before immediately issuing orders.
āAll of you, out. Stand guard outside the door and donāt let anyone inside!ā
The guards immediately withdrew. Han Yunxi didnāt want to leave and wanted to tell them she wouldnāt be a disturbance. But the sword sect master shot her a look, indicating that she should wait with the rest of them. She shook her head, reluctant to depart. He silently gestured for her to move it. Meanwhile, one of the Honored Elders had already helped Long Feiye up to a sitting position. Another looked towards the sword sect master coldly. āWhat was the situation beforehand? Hurry and tell us!ā
The sword sect master rushed forward even as he gave Han Yunxi one last glance. She didnāt dared to waste their time. One look at Long Feiye later and she was rushing out to shut the door herself. Then her legs collapsed beneath her, leaving her physically paralyzed at the entrance. Her heart had already sank. How could she still have the strength to stand?
Xu Donglin rushed over then and quickly went to help her up. āMistress, His Highnessā¦where is His Highness?ā
When Han Yunxi looked up, her expression made his heart ache. Heād never seen esteemed wangfei cry before. Whyā¦has she cried herself into such a mess?
āHis Highness isā¦ā Xu Donglin was frightened by the implications and staggered to the side. āHis Highness isā¦heāsā¦ā
āHeāll be okay!ā Han Yunxi said coldly.
āRight, right! His Highness is a lucky man and Heaven helps the kind. Heāll definitely be alright!ā Xu Donglin said quickly. Actually, he had come to deliver a secret missive with urgent news from South Ning. He didnāt even dare to open the message himself. But with esteemed wangfei like this, how could he bring that up now? Even if he did, she probably wouldnāt read it!
No matter how pressing the message might be, His Highnessās life was more important!
After a while, when still no movement came from the other side of the door, Xu Donglin saw esteemed wangfeiās fingers dig into her palms until her nails turned white. He didnāt know how to coax her, so he ended up handing her a clean handkerchief. āMistress, wipe away your tears. His Highness definitely wouldnāt want to see you crying.ā
Han Yunxi looked over blankly without moving. Xu Donglin was afraid that she might have lost her wits or gone insane. He quickly urged, āMistress, His Highness will wake up. If he sees that youāve been crying, heāll be distressed and unwell for your sake.ā
Han Yunxi came to her senses and quickly wiped away her tears with her hands. She stood up and told herself not to cry, but to wait!
In the end, she ended up waiting for five days and five nights.
On the evening of the fifth day, Han Yunxi had just about broken. It was true that she hadnāt cried, but she had stared at the door like someone wooden. Xu Donglin offered some water to her lips, but she didnāt move. He knew that if anything happened to His Highness Duke of Qin, this woman wouldnāt lose her wits or go insane, but sheād dieā¦
Finally, the door creaked open on the morning of the sixth day. The sword sect master and the three Honored Elders emerged from the room, each of them with ugly expressions. Han Yunxi wanted to ask them questions, but found herself unable to speak. She had gone completely hoarse.
āMistress, youā¦ā Xu Donglin couldnāt help itāhe cried too. She hadnāt talked or drank in the past five days. Although he had spent them by her side, he had no idea how she made it through.
To cry until one was hopeless, until one grew hoarse, until one cried blood.
Once again, Han Yunxi tried to speak and found herself unable. The tears sheād held back for five days began to trickle down her face. She was afraid to rush inside, much less look at the person on the bed. The expressions of the men who came out made her fearful. She would rather wait by the door until she grew old instead, holding onto that last sliver of hope and expectation.
āHow is His Highness Duke of Qin doing?ā Xu Donglin asked. He was frightened too, but esteemed wangfeiās silent questioning had crushed his heart. It was impossible to imagine what His Highness Duke of Qin would feel upon seeing his illustrious wangfei reduced to such a state.
āHe shouldnāt think of getting off that bed without recovering for a year first,ā the sword sect master exhaled. Hearing this, Han Yunxi rushed inside the room, only to seeā¦
ā¦Long Feiye still unconscious, sleeping peacefully on the bed. He had stopped spitting up blood, but his body and face were covered in it. Even the bed had been dyed crimson. Han Yunxi stopped five steps short of the bed and stared at him blankly. She felt that this man was leaving her far behind.
I see. So the farthest distance between us wasnāt 100 steps, but life and death.
Even if they always stayed 100 steps apart, theyād still be able to see each other, hear each other, know each otherās everything. At least then, theyād share the same sky and heavenly bodies. But nothing could bridge the gap between the living and the dead.
Once the Honored Elders left, the sword sect master returned to the room with Xu Donglin in tow. The guards reminded outside, though a couple peeked their heads in curiously. Han Yunxi was carefully wiping Long Feiyeās face clean of blood.
āHis inner energy, qi, and blood all reversed their flow inside his body. The Honored Elders all gave a huge sacrifice to snatch back his life,ā the sword sect elder said. āDonāt worry. Their true qi was used to preserve his life. He wonāt die!ā
Hearing this, Han Yunxi stopped wiping. She wanted to ask him a question, but couldnāt make a sound. The sword sect master finally saw her wan and pallid state. Her lively eyes had lost all spark, leaving them dim and dark.
āDonāt get agitated, you canāt help him here. Only inner energy can help him repair his wounds.ā The sword sect master sighed. āLater, Iāll choose a few people from Youminās camp. Sheās still trustworthy.ā
Han Yunxi went back to cleaning Long Feiyeās face as the sword sect master continued. āThis old man wants to know when heāll wake, too. Cang Qiuziās crimes must be set and your identity as a poisons womanā¦needs to be handled as well.ā
Han Yunxi was silent. Everything she wanted to ask, the sword sect master had already answered.
Morning three days later, an exhausted Han Yunxi was sleeping by the head of the bed when she dreamed that someone was stroking her hair. Her eyes flew open to see Long Feiye staring at her, his soft gaze filled with doting. She gave a start that grew into alarm as she rose to her feet, intended to find the sword sect master. Since Long Feiyeās awake, should we find the Honored Elders to take a look at him?
āHan Yunxi, come hereā¦ā Even Long Feiyeās voice sounded weak.
She immediately rushed to his side and prepared to speak, only for the pain in her throat to stab her. All she could do was write down her words and let him read them.
āWhere does it hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Tell me!
Her words were so familiar. Countless days ago, he had asked her the same thing after coming out of closed door cultivation and seeing her covered in wounds.
But Long Feiye didnāt read her words. Instead, he stared at her for a long time before reaching to touch her throat.
āHan Yunxi, youā¦why arenāt you saying anything?ā
Old Translatorās Note for the Lolz: And thus, the male lead died and PGC came to an end! Stay tuned next week as Ruyi announces her new translation project to comeāitās gonna be a good one! ?